ALLENTOWN, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Aging has unveiled a new online tool designed to make hiring in-home care providers more transparent and accountable while helping protect older adults from abuse, neglect, and fraud.
The platform, called C-Screen, allows the state’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging to directly screen, verify, and rate the hiring practices of in-home care agencies that contract with Pennsylvania’s aging network. Local agencies participating in the pilot program will also have the option to make provider ratings publicly available, giving families more confidence when selecting home-care services.
“Older adults deserve to be able to make informed decisions when seeking in-home services,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “We’re proud to partner with C-Screen to strengthen transparency and accountability while ensuring older adults in all 67 counties are protected by the same high-quality standards.”
The system creates a standardized framework for ongoing monitoring and quality assurance. Sixteen local aging agencies, including Lehigh County, are already using C-Screen, with Lehigh now requiring a verified rating for all new provider contracts.
“C-Screen represents an important step forward in protecting Pennsylvania’s older adults,” said JR Reed, Executive Director of the Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services. “By bringing transparency to provider screening practices, we’re giving families and consumers greater confidence when choosing who delivers care in their homes.”
The initiative is part of the Shapiro Administration’s broader effort to enhance safety and support for Pennsylvania’s aging population. It follows recent rollouts of the Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation (CAPE) system—which streamlines how the state monitors its local aging agencies—and the PA CareKit, a resource supporting the state’s unpaid caregivers.
Together, these programs signal a shift toward a more data-driven, person-centered approach to elder care in Pennsylvania, reinforcing the state’s commitment to protecting and empowering older adults.
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